FIVE THINGS FRIDAY – 17 YEARS AND COUNTING!

Hello and welcome to the first FIVE THINGS FRIDAY of 2023! If you are new to FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, this is simply a blog about where I will write about the top five things from the week. This may range from sports, music, books, and just the occasional thoughts. If this isn’t your first time with us, then welcome back friends. Well, 2023 is here. A new year that will bring about new beginnings, new friendships, new adventures and possibly so much more. There is something exciting about the first of the year for me. Depending on the previous year, you may be one that looks forward to a new page or a new start. For some, maybe you just enjoy the journey and look forward to where the new year will take you and for some, it’s a new start to see all the exciting things that God is going to do in your life. I am somewhere in the middle of all the above! However, for our first FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, I simply want to focus on all that God has done in my life the last 17 years. As of Saturday, I will be celebrating my birthday and my anniversary (that’s right, I got married on my birthday!) Without further ado, here is this weeks FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.

I. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY BEST FRIEND

On Saturday, my wife and I will celebrate our 17th anniversary. That seems like a long time to some and a very short time for others. I don’t know if year 17 puts us somewhere near the middle or close to it, but I do know that it has been 17 years full of love, happiness, grace, laughter, tears and yes, even a few arguments. I am thankful today for each and every one of those moments that God has blessed us with and I do not take them for granted. I could not imagine my life without her in it! Aside from Jesus Christ, she is my rock, my strength and my world. She has also given me the second greatest gift in our daughter, Gracie. But, when I think about 17 years I am thankful for God’s grace in our marriage as we have tried our best to keep Him at the center of our lives and marriage. In fact, He has given us so many blessings that I would not have time to list every single one of them. But, today, I am thankful today that she said yes to that very first 12 hour date. My life has not been the same since that day and Lord willing, I look forward to the next 17 years or more. We love going on little adventures together and I cannot wait to see where God will take us in 2023. Wherever that may be, I know one thing is for certain… she will be right there beside me, riding shotgun reading her books, holding my hand waiting to see where the road takes us. Jana, I love you more and more each day. Thank you for being mine and for being the most amazing wife and best friend anyone could ever ask for.

II. IT ALL STARTED WITH TWO OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

It’s funny to think about that our relationship started with two of our favorite things. One is camp and the second is baseball. Jana was working as a staffer at South Mountain Baptist Camp and I was a youth pastor that had brought our kids to camp. She was assigned to our church for the week as our staffer and needless to say, it was the best week of her life! (Okay, not really, she couldn’t stand me and all my sarcasm!) But one of the first conversations we had was about baseball. She was wearing her Atlanta Braves hat, so me being an avid baseball fan assumed that she didn’t know the importance of the week. It was All-Star week in MLB and she blew me away when she began to talk about baseball and even knowing where the All-Star game was being played. I don’t neither one of us knew that God was about to change our lives forever that week, but I am so glad that you decided to take a chance on the “old, sarcastic guy.” It is very fitting that we met at a place that holds so much meaning and love to us. We both learn ed to walk there, first physically and then spiritually. We both worked there together, we have had to the privilege to continue to take our church kids there every summer for 16 years and we have had the blessing of seeing our daughter trust in Christ there. I could have never imagined all those times growing up at camp that I would one day meet the love of my life there and then have the opportunity to do ministry with you. It is MY DESIRE to do ministry and life with you where ever God puts us! I am thankful that you “broke” the ultimate camp rule by going out with a counselor! Al and Mischia, if you read this, thank you for giving her permission to break that rule! 🙂 17 years later and we still love going back every summer to the place where it all started and we also still love watching our favorite sport… well, maybe soccer is our favorite now because we seem to watch more of it than we do baseball anymore.

III. CHRISTMAS BREAK IS OVER AND IT’S BACK TO THE GRIND

This week Christmas break officially came to an end as school started back on Wednesday. Yes, it was sad to see Christmas break go, but I am excited for the second semester of school. No, I’m not in school, but I am looking forward to getting back to the craziness of basketball every Tuesday and Thursday as we finish out the season. It has been so much fun to be able to enjoy watching Gracie play, to be able to watch her as a parent instead of a coach. Although, we still have just as many conversations after the game as we do with soccer. (Gracie and I have to dissect every little play, we can’t help it!) But then, I am really looking forward to spring and soccer season with the school and the YMCA. But we also get back to the grind as we continue to train for all of our 5K races and then our 10K race in April. It’s amazing how much you lose by not doing anything in 3-4 weeks. This week I have tried to start back and to be honest, it’s a lot harder. Maybe it’s because I will be 47 on Saturday and my body is trying to tell me to chill, I’m not sure. I am ready to keep you all posted as we finish this basketball season though. We are still waiting for her to score her first “official” points in a game! She has six games left to accomplish this feat, so we’ll see how it goes.

IV. 2023 READING CHALLENGE

I posted in my last FIVE THINGS FRIDAY about having a reading challenge for 2023. So far, I am on pace for keeping up with that plan. I am currently reading two books and listening to one audio book in the mornings when I run/bike. I had a friend recommend a book that I may have to check out even if it is a book about Coach K! I did receive my book “SIGNING THIER RIGHTS AWAY: THE FAME AND MISFORTUNE OF THE MEN WHO SIGNED THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION” this week and I look forward to sharing some of my thoughts with you in the coming weeks. But, what are some books that you have on your reading list for this year? Let me know in the comments.

V. MEMORY VERSE FOR 2023

Colossians 3:16-17 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” I had already decided that I was going to make this my theme verse for 2023 and then our pastor shares this with our church as our theme verse for this year. WHAT? What is the chances of that? (I guess it’s true that great minds think a like…) Paul’s words are a great reminder to us as we move forward in 2023. “Let the word of Christ DWELL in you…” The word dwell means to think or talk about. Today, we have so many voices that are playing into our ears that it can be hard to listen to each and every one of them. Let me encourage you today, that listening the Word of God is the only one that matters. If we dwell in Him, continue reading and studying His Words, He will guide us and show us what is important and true. Will you take time to dwell in Christ today? Will you not only listen to His voice but be willing to obey His Words as well?

What are you most excited about in 2023? I am excited about a lot of things and I will more than likely share those with you throughout the year. But, the biggest thing I am excited about is taking time to dwell in Christ (at least try to) daily. I want to be closer to Him each and every day. Have a wonderful Friday and we will see you next week for another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.

WEDNESDAY DEVOTIONAL – A PRAYER FOR 2023

Hello and welcome to 2023! I don’t know about you, but I always like it when the calendar year turns. For one, I am thankful to God that I am still here to see another year. But that also tells me that He is not done with me yet! (The same goes for you too if you are reading this!) So, the new year is all about new beginnings, fresh starts and new adventures. I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to do this year in my life, my families lives and the life of our church.

For 2023, my prayer and my challenge to you is Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

There are a lot of people today, who will say that “I am a Christian.” However, when you push the envelope, so to speak, you will find that what they mean is “I believe in Christ and I believe the truths of Christianity.” However, if you ask them how has this translated over into your life, more than likely a few will say that “it hasn’t really changed my life.” Being a Christian is more than about just believing a set of facts. It’s more than about attending church or being a moral person. It’s not just about believing something in an abstract way. To become a Christian means that you experience something; that it changes every area of your life.

And that’s what we see in this prayer.

Notice that Paul teaches us to pray that God will strengthen us with His power. His power is the Holy Spirit that indwells inside every believer. Christ lives in you! That is enough to be excited about, but Paul goes on. It’s not just that we believe certain things. This prayer is about much more than believing certain truths about God. It’s that we will be increasingly transformed in the very depths of our being by the one who’s taken up residence in our hearts and lives.

This year, will you DWELL on Jesus Christ and the works He is doing in your life? Will you commit to be rooted and grounded in Him and His love in 2023?

God will do far more than we think or imagine, will you surrender your life and heart to Him and His leading in your life in 2023?